Wind driven machines such as wind mills, wind driven generators, and wind wheel type machines can be adapted to provide useful work and/or for energy conversion. Wind turbines, for example, are a type of wind driven machine that can be used for energy conversion and to provide a source of alternative energy. A wind turbine can include a housing or nacelle positioned atop a truss or a tubular tower. Typically mounted to the nacelle is a rotor having multiple blades that are aerodynamically designed to transform wind energy into a form of mechanical energy. For instance, through their aerodynamic design, the multiple blades positioned about a rotor can transform the kinetic energy of the wind into rotational motion of the rotor, a form of mechanical energy. The rotational motion of the rotor can be used to drive a mechanical load or be further converted into electrical energy using one or more generators.
Because wind energy can vary in intensity and/or direction, wind driven machines like wind turbines can include one or more components for adapting certain characteristics of the turbine to ambient conditions, thereby improving the wind driven machine's efficiency. For example, a wind turbine can include components associated with yaw control for turning the rotor and blades into the direction of the wind. Additional components can be included for pitch control to turn the blades and to increase or decrease the aerodynamic load. Other components associated with turbine control and modification can also be provided. Because these components are associated with wind turbine efficiency, their reliable and continuous operation is generally desired. Conventional wind turbines, however, have only limited safeguards for ensuring these components are functioning properly. When one or more of these components begin operating in an alert condition, which could indicate the component is malfunctioning, the efficiency of the wind turbine suffers. In some instances, when one or more of these components malfunctions, the wind turbine may require deactivation, resulting in power disruption and economic loss.
Thus, there is a need to reduce power disruptions associated with the operation of wind driven machines. More specifically, there is a need for systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring and controlling a wind driven machine.